


Monarchs of Men

by FanficsbyVe



Category: Dark Souls III
Genre: F/M, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-06-02 02:24:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6546700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficsbyVe/pseuds/FanficsbyVe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Ashen One and Anri of Astora embrace their destinies. Follows the "Usurp The Fire" ending. SPOILERS AHEAD. One-shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monarchs of Men

Today was a day the Ashen One never thought would come to pass.

He barely remembered his life before he became Unkindled. A wandering knight, who at one point collapsed. A man without a master or value, to die alone and forgotten as the Flame faded once more.

Now, he was standing under the sun, in a cathedral overlooking a renewed Londor. He was the Lord of Mankind, the one who finally allowed the Age of Man to begin. He had broken the curse and severed humans from the Flame. By taking the fire for himself and passing it on, spreading it across Mankind, they were now free. No Hollow or Unkindled would ever wander these lands again. He was a savior as much as he was a king. And today was the day he would be wed. 

Of course, he technically was already wed. The Darkwraith Yuria had bound him to Anri of Astora. A beautiful, brave knight, Unkindled like him. He had met her on the Road of Sacrifices and had been charmed the moment he first spoke to her. She had been a steadfast ally throughout his travels and it was nigh impossible not to fall in love with her kindness, loyalty and compassion. When Yuria stated she had intended for this woman to be his bride if he were to be the Lord of Hollows, he could hardly refuse. 

Of course, things had not been as they seemed. Even now, his stomach turned at the thought of that profane ritual that the Darkwraith called a “marriage”. She was as much a lying serpent as the one she served. Anri was never truly meant to be his. She was simply a means to an end, a source to draw power for the dark sigil and their marriage was her life being snuffed out by an assassin, after which her corpse was defiled by him driving a sword through her face.

Even though his act resurrected her as his Hollow queen, it had horrified him. He had allowed the murder of the one he had grown to love and desecrated her corpse afterwards. What’s more, they were now rulers of a decrepit kingdom, no better off than when they were Unkindled. Yuria had tricked him into darkness and they would have stayed there, had it not been for another friendly face from his past.

The Fire Keeper was the true mind behind the salvation of Man. Soon after usurping the Flame, he had summoned her to the capital and offered her a position beside him, unwilling to kill her no matter how much Yuria urged him to. Her task now obsolete yet unwilling to die in the catacombs, she had happily accepted a place in his new court and she served him as diligently as an advisor as she had done tending to the Flame. 

She performed her new task well and he quickly learned she was far more selfless and altruistic than the one he made him Lord in the first place. When she counseled him, she had the welfare of his new realm in mind, rather than acquiring power and soon, he saw the wisdom of putting his faith in her. It was her, aided by the Eyes of a Firekeeper, who suggested that the Flame could be divided and spread and it was her belief and faith in him and Anri that allowed them to believe humanity was not bound to either Fire or Dark.

The end of Dark had been the end of his association with Yuria. Furious with his abandonment of what she considered his “destiny”. In retaliation, she had summoned several other Darkwraiths. Calling on the wrath of Kaathe, they had intended to stage a coup and assassinate both him and Anri, blaming it all on the Fire Keeper before ridding themselves of her in a public execution.

That plan, however, turned out to be a disaster. They had grossly underestimated the power and strength of the Ashen One, as well as the loyalty of his subjects. The Darkwraiths were torn apart in the streets, many of them perishing before they could even reach the keep that was now his home. Yuria and her sister didn’t fare much better either. Before she could even reach him and engage in a fight with him, she met her end on Anri’s sword, effectively allowing his spouse to avenge her own death. 

Yuria’s death had truly marked the end of an era and with the last of the Darkwraiths dead or in hiding far away from Londor, all was now peaceful in the new world of Man. He was now free to pursue a just and fair rule, in a world that would never once be at the whim of Gods or fire again. He was ready to live and, most importantly, to love.

Today was all about that. After all he had gone through, he was finally willing to erase the mistakes of the past, especially those committed towards the woman he loved. He would properly wed Anri, in an actual ceremony and for all human eyes to see.  
___

When Anri was but a girl, she knew she wanted to be a knight. 

It was perhaps not the most common dream for a daughter of a lesser knight’s house in Astora, even if it wasn’t necessarily discouraged. Still, where others dreamed of being noblewomen, princesses or even queens, she knew she wanted to take up a sword. To fight evil, take part in tourneys and protect the weak and innocent. 

How ironic it is, she realized, that the knight who had no desire to be a queen was now one. A queen of Mankind, spouse of the one who ended the cycle. It was a fate she had never imagined for herself, but it was one she would happily accept nonetheless, even if the circumstances leading to it were bizarre, to say the least. All she needed to do is get out of the side room of the large cathedral she’s currently in and walk to the altar to seal the deal.

She looked at herself in the mirror as handmaidens rushed to and fro. She had to admit she enjoyed the look of the silver armor on her. No matter the eons of tradition, she could not bring herself to wear an actual dress on this grand day. Silks suited her poorly and if she was going to be a monarch, she still wished to be sincere. As such, silver armor, combined with a white riding skirt, would be her wedding robe, a choice her future husband appreciated to no end.

She smiled just thinking of him. Who would think her fate would be changed so much by a chance meeting on the Road of Sacrifices? By an Unkindled, bound by the same duty as her? 

Anri had never been a woman to fall in love easily. The concept of men was entirely lost on her when there were swords and adventures to busy herself with. Yet the Ashen One stood out to her. He was as tough as he was tenacious and unlike any other Unkindled she met on her journey, selfless and helpful. He had proven himself time and time again as they had advanced onto the Lords of Cinder and for the first time in her life, she had felt more than mere respect.

It was rather peculiar to be in love for the first time. To be in such good spirits and yet so distracted at every moment. Sometimes, she wondered if that was her downfall. That her mind being elsewhere was what allowed that assassin to get the drop on her.

Even now, she remembered little of her resurrection and frankly, she didn’t want to. What drove her through the horrid experience were her own determination and the knowledge that her death allowed the curse to end. She forgave the man she loved for his part in this, as he was obviously kept in the dark, but never once did it occur to her to do the same for Yuria. 

Yet now, the Darkwraith was dead. Skewed by her own blade. Anri was not a vengeful person by nature, but words could not describe how satisfying it felt to avenge herself. What’s more, how it felt to kill the last person who would see humanity sink back into darkness. 

Yes, the end of the Darkwraiths meant a new beginning for her. For all of humanity. She was finally free to follow the destiny she wanted, to be a knight and queen of her own choice. That destiny would start today, in the cathedral of Londor, on the first day of the second month of the Age of Men. 

Finally, the handmaids let up and left, allowing her a moment of quiet. She sat back in the chair, only to look up when a familiar face came in. She was happy to see the Fire Keeper and smiled when the woman quickly adjusted her floral crown and took her hand. She was glad to have her blessing for this union; for if she trusted anyone blindly in this city aside from her husband to be, it was her. 

She felt how her friend took her hand and after a quick exchange of glances, she nodded and got up. She allowed her to lead her out of the small room, into the main chamber of the cathedral. Beyond this threshold, everything would change and hopefully, it would for the better.

The cheering of the crowds overwhelmed her, almost frightened her. Even now, the reality of the situation hardly sank in. For a moment, she hesitated to step forward, only be soothed by a squeeze of the hand. She glanced over at the Fire Keeper and the woman bowed her head in respect.

A small grin tugged at her face and she held her head up high. She straightened her back and continued to walk, the dignity of a warrior in every step. Her heart leaped a little as she saw her future husband at the altar, smiling with happiness and pride. These people had come to greet their queen and she would give them one they would remember as much as her spouse. Anri of Astora, warrior and sovereign, wife to the Ashen King that brought about the Age of Men.


End file.
